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Hey loves and Ramadan Mubarak. We are in the final third of Ramadan and now is the time to pull back and get oneself together. It seems like yesterday we were preparing and praying for the grace to see the start of Ramadan and now it’s almost over.

Ramadan as a new mum, and a nursing one at that matter, has been a tad trying for me. One minute I feel like I’m catching up, the next minute I’m a complete and utter mess. Most times I feel like I’m struggling to keep up my Ibadah. For this final lap of Ramadan, I’m taking a step back and exhaling. I need to find my life for just these last 10 days.

The last ten days are pretty important as we get the chance of Laylatul Qadr, the Night of Decree. No matter how hard Ramadan has been for you, whether as a mum or not, or you’ve just been sick or swamped with work, these last ten days are a chance to reassess our intentions and actions and hope to Allah that we gain the best out of them.

Here are some tips on how I intend to maximize the rest of Ramadan.

Make Dua everywhere and anytime: I can be pretty square sometimes and worship is not left out. Most times, I think I have to wait till I’m on my mat or in salah before I can pray. But then I remember how close Allah is to us.

“And We have already created man and know what his soul whispers to him, and We are closer to him than [his] jugular vein” – Q50:16

It’s something I’m still trying to imbibe but now I try to pray when driving or walking or just doing anything that doesn’t involve too much distraction. Let out your dua anytime you think about it. It doesn’t matter where you are (maybe except the toilet lol) but if you wait until you are all prepped up on your mat, you might forget that really important thing you needed to say to Allah.

Turn off the Static: We’ve got our phones, tvs, the Internet and as helpful as they may seem, they can be huge sources of distractions. Those few minutes when I’m nursing, I pick up my phone to catch up on social media or just plain rubbish. I know the time for certain TV shows by heart. We don’t need that this time. Turn it off! Even if it’s just for a couple of hours to focus on the deen, it would be a couple of hours without any unnecessary interruption.

Read and Listen to the Quran: Listening to the Quran for me is total bliss. It’s all about that free time. I might be meal prepping or nursing or driving and instead of letting that time pass me by, listening to the Quran on my phone helps me improve my relationship with it. Listening to lectures during my free time too is great. One of my absolute faves is Mufti Menk’s Podcast on Muslim Central and there’s one each day in Ramadan.

Read the translation and understand the verses. Read the tafsir. The month of Ramadan was when the Quran was revealed (Q97 V1) and what better time to improve your relationship with it than now.

Look for Laylatul Qadr: Waking up at night is hard for everyone, I know. Purify your intentions again. Then Set an alarm. Make that two or three. I’m not the best at waking up at night especially when my baby doesn’t seem to cooperate on some nights but I’ve figured that sticking to the same bedtime routine each day helps you wake up on time. Ask Allah to help you witness Laylatul Qadr and In sha Allah He will.

Focus on your obligatory deeds: Maybe it’s waking up for Fajr. Maybe it’s praying on time. Focus on performing those deeds to the best of your ability. What good is it focusing on the voluntary acts of worship when we are struggling with our obligations? And what better time to perfect them than now?

The Night of Decree is better than a thousand months.

Q97 V 3

Don’t also forget to recite the Dua recommended by the Prophet (SAW) during this time:

Allahumma innaka ‘afuwwun, tuhibbul-‘afwa, fa’fu ‘anni

(O Allah, You are Most Forgiving, and You love forgiveness; so forgive me)

May Allah (SWT) grant us success this Ramadan and may we see many more.

What other tips/hacks do you have for this last 10 days? Share in the comments please.

Like this:

Now I have been thinking about locking my hair for a while and although this seems like a pretty exciting idea to me, a lot of people seem to bring up the word ‘haram’ when I mention it. However, none of them really have any solid evidence to back it up.

Honestly, I think that dreadlocks will be easier for the Muslimah lifestyle (for me at least). It’s natural, there will be no need to braid my hair for Ghusl, mucho hijab volume…need I say more? Plus my hair kinda locks naturally. Hence my interest in locs.

It is a really big step to take, considering that I can’t take it out like regular braids if I want to and I can’t readily revert to my normal hair if I get tired. Plus, all this talk about it being Haram is making me hesitate.
I will really be willing to listen anyone’s honest opinion concerning locs, especially with evidence, as to whether they are haram or halal.

I’d also be willing to listen to anyone’s personal advice, whether based on personal experience or not.

Like this:

Hello lavs and Asalam Alaykum to my muslim peeps. I hope Ramadan was awesome to all who participated. May Allah grant us many more, In-sha-Allah. 🙂

There is something exciting that would tickle the fancy of all Muslims around. I present to you all the newest thing on the block for Muslims: Solat On The Move (SOTM). Created by GR Sunnatics, SOTM are prayer mats which are made specially to ease the task of observance of daily Muslim prayers, anytime, anywhere. I know, there are prayer mats that are commonly found in Islamic shops, but what makes the SOTM mat different? The SOTM mat is a very smooth light material, made from synthetic fibers, it is also water resistant. Imagine that! It won’t get wet and you can clean it easily. It is also very portable and easy to carry around.

The whole product consists of two parts. The first part is the Mat which is the main component and is about the size of an individual standard prayer mat. It is large enough to fit one person very conveniently. The second part is the pouch. The Pouch is a pocket sized piece where the mat fits in just right when folded. This allows for ease in moving around with the SOTM mat. You can carry it anywhere. Now you know why it is called Solat On The Move. With it, you can pray your Solat…on the move. 🙂

In Your pocket!

The product is targeted at all Muslims irrespective of age groups and gender, especially Students and people of the working class that are constantly on the go. The SOTM comes in different colours so you can definitely get a lot of options to choose from.

GR Sunnatics is working on having Sales Representatives in all 36 states of Nigeria. So If you are interested in distribution or getting these mats for your personal use please call the following numbers for more details: Goodman: 08184886929 Fu’ad: 08132893862 Or email them at: Solatonthemove@gmail.com or follow them on twitter: @RebelliousXIV @OkunadeGoodMan